[Editor: These editorial notes, written by A. G. Stephens, regarding the poems of Barcroft Boake, were published in Where the Dead Men Lie and Other Poems (1897).]
Notes to poems.
1. FROM THE FAR WEST, p. 1. — Printed in The Sydney Mail, February 14, 1891. Signed ‘B. H. B., Wagga Wagga.’
Verse 1. ‘the Never Never land.’ Or, the Never Never country — a phrase used to denote the more or less desert interior of Australia. Date of first use and origin unknown; but was employed in Queensland about 1860. Somewhat fantastically suggested that it signified the sun-smitten land whither pioneers journeyed and never, never returned.
Verse 3. ‘piker.’ An old wild bullock or cow — so called from its ill-tempered habit of charging horsemen, as a piker? The lowered horns at the charge do suggest pike-heads.
Verse 6. ‘the saltbush’ sickly shade.’ Saltbush is the vernacular name of a salinous shrub of the order chenopodiaceae, which grows freely on the arid plains of central Australia, often where other vegetation is scarce or absent. There are many species, some of which are so eagerly eaten by sheep and cattle that they are fast disappearing. The plant’s average height is from four to twelve feet, and most species throw little or no shade. Boake probably refers to atriplex vesicaria or halimoides.
2. JACK’S LAST MUSTER, p. 4. — Printed in The Sydney Mail, December 13, 1890. Signed ‘Sursinglr, Wagga Wagga’ — this a misprint of ‘Surcingle.’ To the printed title was added — ‘Diamantina River, Western Queensland.’
Verse 7. ‘That C O B gray one.’ C O B was one of the cattle brands of Cobb and Co. — a pastoral and coaching firm whose name is familiar throughout the east Australian interior. In verse 16 Boake sounds the letters together as Cobb.
Verse 9. ‘yellowtop.’ Vernacular for panicum flavidum, or yellow-flowered panick grass,’ a valuable perennial grass found over a large area of interior eastern Australia.
3. A MEMORY, p. 9. — Printed in The Bulletin, November 14, 1891. Signed ‘Surcingle.’
4. JOSEPHUS RILEY, p. 13. — Printed in The Bulletin, April 16, 1892. Signed ‘Barcroft H. Boake.’
5. A VISION OUT WEST, p. 19. — Now first published. The title in MS. is ‘Westward the course of empire rolls.’
Verse 9. ‘Mitchell grass.’ Vernacular for astrebla elymoides and other species of astrebla — a perennial grass common to interior eastern Australia. The seeds are carried in ears like small wheat ears, and were formerly used for food by the aborigines. ‘Mitchell’ is owed to Mitchell the explorer (1792-1855.)
6. JIM’S WHIP, p. 26. — Printed in The Bulletin, March 19, 1892. Signed ‘Barcroft H. Boake.’ A note by author was appended: ‘It is a very common thing for a stockman to say, speaking of its excellence, “That’s the whip that brought the cattle home after the drought.”’
Verse 1. ‘sallee.’ Vernacular for one of the 300 or so Australian species of acacia. Wattle, yarran, mulga, brigalow, myall, &c., are other common names of some of them. These names seem applied almost indiscriminately to different species in different districts — one man’s ‘yarran’ being another man’s ‘myall,’ and so on — to the confusion of botanists. Boake possibly refers to acacia longifolia — a good-sized shrub or small tree.
7. THE DEMON SNOW SHOES, p. 29. — Printed in The Bulletin, October 10, 1891. Signed ‘Surcingle.’ There was a sub-title — ‘A Legend of Kiandra.’
8. A VALENTINE, p. 35. — Printed in The Bulletin, February 13, 1892. Signed ‘Barcroft H. Boake.’
Verse 5. ‘lignum.’ This is the swamp lignum, or native broom (viminaria denudata). It is a soft-wooded shrub growing up to 20ft. high. Found throughout Australia. In ‘Fogarty’s Gin,’ p. 53, it is again mentioned.
9. THE BOX-TREE’S LOVE, p. 39. — Posthumously printed in The Bulletin, June 16, 1892. Signed ‘Barcroft H. Boake.’ An editor’s note was appended: ‘Found among the papers of the late Barcroft H. Boake — probably one of his first metrical efforts.’
10. A WAYSIDE QUEEN, p. 48. — Posthumously printed in The Bulletin, May 14, 1892. Signed ‘Barcroft H. Boake.’
11. FOGARTY’S GIN, p. 52 — Printed in The Bulletin, March 19, 1892. Signed ‘Barcroft H. Boake.’ A note by author was appended: ‘Burgess’ Cob — an eerie beast that awaits a historian.’ I have not been able to ascertain the reference.
12. A SONG FROM A SANDHILL, p. 58. — Printed in The Bulletin, April 2, 1892. Signed ‘Barcroft H. Boake.’
13. THE BABES IN THE BUSH, p. 60. — Now first published. There is no title in MS.
14. THE DIGGER’S SONG, p 65. — Printed in The Bulletin, October 31, 1891. Signed ‘Surcingle.’
15. HOW POLLY PAID FOR HER KEEP, p. 67. — Printed in The Bulletin, February 6, 1892. Signed ‘Barcroft H. Boake.’ A note by author was appended: ‘Where a mail road passes through a fence it is customary to dispense with a gate, a lane being built on either side of the opening instead, which goes by the name of a “break.”’
The object is to avoid the cost and trouble of a gate, while preventing the passage of sheep from one paddock to another. E.g., sheep feeding along the fence in the direction of the arrows above, and reaching the barrier, would be turned back into the centre of their own paddock. The lane is narrow — hence the need of clever steering (verse 26).
Verse 27. ‘The change.’ The end of a coach-stage, where horses are changed.
16. AN ALLEGORY, p. 73. — Printed in The Bulletin, March 26, 1892. Signed ‘Barcroft H. Boake.’
17. KITTY McCRAE, p. 74. — Printed in The Bulletin, December 19, 1891. Signed ‘Surcingle.’ There was a sub-title — ‘A Galloping Rhyme.’
18. ’TWIXT THE WINGS OF THE YARD, p. 80. — Printed in The Bulletin, October 17, 1891. Signed ‘Surcingle.’
19. A SONG, p. 84. — Now first published.
20. SKEETA, p. 86. — Posthumously printed in The Bulletin, December 17, 1892. Signed ‘Barcroft H. Boake, N. S. Wales.’ There was a sub-title — ‘An Old Servant’s Story.’
21. ON THE BOUNDARY, p. 93. — Printed in The Bulletin, March 12, 1892. Signed ‘Barcroft H. Boake.’
Verse 5. ‘The murmuring belar.’ The belar or bull-oak (casuarina glauca) is a ragged-looking tree, averaging 30 or 40 feet in height. Found all over eastern Australia. It resembles rather a pine than an oak, and the feathery foliage sways and murmurs as a pine’s. The Linnaean name is derived from the likeness of this foliage to the drooping plumes of a cassowary.
22. BABS MALONE, p. 95. — Printed in The Bulletin, February 20, 1892. Signed ‘Barcroft H. Boake.’ The title was printed — ‘How Babs Malone Cut Down the Field.’
23. AT THE ‘J.C.,’ p. 104. — Printed in The Bulletin, January 9, 1892. Signed ‘Bancroft H. Boake, N. S. Wales’ — ‘Bancroft’ a misprint. To the printed title ‘West Queensland’ was added.
24. JACK CORRIGAN, p. 106. — Posthumously printed in The Bulletin, June 4, 1892. Signed ‘Barcroft H. Boake.’ An editor’s note was appended: ‘Found among the papers of the late Barcroft H. Boake.’
This ballad, like most by Boake, is founded on fact. ‘Locker’s hill,’ ‘the Flat Rock,’ etc., are landmarks well known in the district around Rosedale station, previously referred to.
25. DOWN THE RIVER, p. 113. — Printed in The Bulletin, February 6, 1892. Signed ‘Barcroft H. Boake.’ Notes by author were appended: Verse 1. ‘the river’ — the Murrumbidgee. Verse 2. ‘where the rivers join’ — the Snowy and Eucumbene rivers.
Verse 2. ‘Buckley’s crossing’ — of the Snowy River, N.S.W. ‘Jindaboine’ (properly Jindabyne), ‘Dry Plain,’ ‘Bolaro,’ are villages in the Monaro district.
Verse 4. ‘jack-shay,’ a billycan or quart pot. I should be glad to learn date of first use and origin.
‘Mahonga,’ ‘Bluegong’ (properly Brookong), ‘Grubben,’ and ‘Pullitop’ are well-known Riverina stations.
Verse 6. ‘old Bobby Rand.’ An eccentric Riverina squatter, not long dead, and formerly owner of Mahonga station and others.
26. KELLY’S CONVERSION, p. 116. — Printed in The Bulletin, December 19, 1891. Signed ‘Surcingle.’
27. ON THE RANGE, p. 122. — Printed in The Bulletin, May 30, 1891. Signed ‘Surcingle.’
This poem records an actual occurrence. ‘Young Charlie Mac.’ was Charles McKeahnie, son of Mr. Alex. McKeahnie, of Rosedale, previously referred to. He was killed in 1895 through a horse falling with him.
‘To the warrigal fancied by young Charlie Mac.’ ‘Warrigal’ — a term drawn from an aboriginal dialect — is still applied to a wild horse in some districts of New South Wales; though ‘brumby’ seems to be superseding it.
‘muzzle-wood.’ This is eucalyptus stellulata, a tree which in the Monaro district usually grows to a height of from 12 to 20 feet. In the early days the wood was often used to make muzzles for young calves — whence the name.
28. AT DEVLIN’S SIDING, p. 128. — Posthumously printed in The Bulletin, December 17, 1892. Signed ‘Bancroft H. Boake, N. S. Wales’ — ‘Bancroft’ a misprint. The printed title was ‘Deserted: As Seen at Devlin’s Siding;’ in MS. it is simply ‘At Devlin’s Siding.’
29. FEATHERSTONHAUGH, p. 132. — Posthumously printed in The Bulletin, June 11, 1892. Signed ‘Barcroft H. Boake.’ An editor’s note was appended: ‘Verses found among the papers of the lamented writer.’
‘Featherstonhaugh’ — so written by Boake and printed in The Bulletin — should be ‘Fetherstonhaugh’ throughout; but the sheet containing these verses had been printed when I became aware of the following facts regarding their subject:—
It was about 1870 that a party of four young desperadoes, consisting of ‘Bluecap,’ ‘Dick the Devil,’ and others, held the north bank of the Murrumbidgee for some time. Bluecap appeared to adopt the Claude du Val style. All the stations up and down the river were stuck up. The ladies were asked to play and sing, and report goes that one rather high and mighty ‘squattah’ was forced to cook mutton chops for them. The police managed to capture two of them; and later on the other two, after a stand-up fight with Mr. Waller, of Kooba station, and some police, had to leave their horses and swim the Murrumbidgee River. They made their way to Argon, an outstation of Tubbo, where they got firearms and horses. They then headed for the mountains, via Yamma and Boree Creek. On their way, a man named Hammond joined them, and the three turned up next at Claxton’s accommodation house on Brookong. Thence they made for Brookong station, then owned by Hebden and Osbornes, and managed by C. Fetherstonhaugh.
It was shearing time, but there had been some rain, and no one was at work, and the sheep-washers were all up at the head station over some ‘barney’ that had occurred. Fetherstonhaugh was away when the bushrangers appeared on the scene, and rode up quite unconcernedly to find himself covered by the rifle of a man kneeling down, who called upon him to stand. He turned his mare round sharp, and the fellow (Hammond) fired and missed him. He rode away, but turned and came back, fearing the bushrangers might burn the house or ill-treat some one. They were very civil, and he had a long talk with Bluecap. Finally they cleared out with two of the station horses and about £30, telling Fetherstonhaugh that if he followed them or attempted to go for the police they would assuredly shoot him. The last thing they were heard to say was that they thought they would go and shoot ‘Old Rand.’
As soon as they left Fetherstonhaugh started to Urana and telegraphed all round, and then returned to a station near Urana and requested the men to turn out and see if they could not come on the bushrangers at Rand’s, about 12 miles away. The proposition was not received with favour. It was by this time dark, and, having borrowed a single-barrelled pistol, Fetherstonhaugh went off to see if he could come across the fellows, the idea being to get their horses if possible. He found no tracks on the road to Rand’s station, nor had they visited his Urangeline station. He turned then for one of his own outstations, and, in riding up to an outstation of Rand’s appropriately called ‘the flash hut,’ he saw one of the stolen horses hanging up. He was at once challenged and fired on, and in making tracks was pursued, while in all seven shots were fired at him, and he could hear the bullets singing. Knowing the country well, he made for the creek and got across all right, but the bushrangers attempted to cross on a dam that was broken in the centre, which break could not be seen from the bank, and Hammond was drowned. Bluecap was arrested some time after; and Duce, the third man, was also taken, but not before he had shot a trooper.
30. DESIREE, p. 136. — Now first published. Spelt ‘Désirè’ in MS.
31. WHERE THE DEAD MEN LIE, p. 140. — Printed in The Bulletin, December 19, 1891. Signed ‘Surcingle.’ The title in MS. is ‘Where the Dead Lie.’
Source:
Barcroft Boake, Where the Dead Men Lie and Other Poems, Sydney (NSW): Angus and Robertson, 1897, pp. 145-152
Editor’s notes:
On page 143, there was an otherwise blank page with the word “NOTES” in bold, placed prior to the “Notes to poems” section (pp. 145-152). Page 144 was blank.
&c. = an alternative form of “etc.”: an abbreviation of “et cetera” (also spelt “etcetera”), a Latin term (“et” meaning “and”, “cetera” meaning “the rest”) which is translated as “and the rest (of such things)”, used in English to mean “and other similar things”, “other unspecified things of the same class”, “and so forth”
acacia = a tree or shrub belonging to the genus Acacia, bearing clusters of small white or yellow flower clusters; in Australia, Acacia trees are known as Wattle trees
Alex. = an abbreviation of the name “Alexander”
barney = argument; fight
belar = (also spelt “belah”) a casuarina tree (Casuarina glauca) native to the east coast of Australia, also known as a bull oak
See: 1) “New South Wales Plants and Grasses. No. 77. — Belar or Bull Oak. Casuarina Glauca, Sieb.”, The Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW), 26 July 1890, p. 23
2) “Casuarina glauca”, Florabank
Bluecap = Robert Cotterell (1847-?), a stockman and bushranger; his bushranging career was a short one, lasting from June to November 1867, when he was caught (after serving 6 and half years in prison, he was released in 1874); he was born in Sydney in 1847; the date if his death is unknown
See: “Bluecap (bushranger)”, Wikipedia
C. Fetherstonhaugh = [see: Cuthbert Fetherstonhaugh]
Claude du Val = Claude Du Vall (also spelt: Claude Duval) (1643-1670), a Frenchman who migrated to England, and embarked on a criminal career as a highwayman; during his career of highway robbery, he gained a reputation for being a gentleman, showing courtesy to his victims and acting in a chivalrous manner to women; he was born into a poor family of the French aristocracy in Domfront (Orne, Normandy, France) in 1643, and died in 1670 (his surname has variously been spelt as: du Val, Du Val, Duval, Du Vall, and Duvall)
See: “Claude Duval”, Wikipedia
cleared out = departed, left, moved, went away; cleared off, ran away
Cuthbert Fetherstonhaugh = Cuthbert Fetherstonhaugh (1837-1925), a bushman, pastoralist, and preacher; he was born in County Westmeath (Ireland) in 1837, came to Australia in 1857, and died in Wellington (New South Wales) in 1925, at the age of 88 (his surname has often been misspelt as “Featherstonhaugh”)
See: 1) “All-jobs man: Career of Mr Cuthbert Featherstonhaugh”, The Herald (Melbourne, Vic.), 11 June 1925, p. 1
2) Walter G. Henderson, “Cuthbert Featherstonhaugh”, The Albury Banner, and Wodonga Express (Albury, NSW), 31 July 1925, p. 33
e.g. = an abbreviation of the Latin term “exemplī grātiā”, meaning “for the sake of example” (the meaning of “e.g.” is commonly rendered in English as “for example”; it is also rendered as “such as”); “e.g.” is used to introduce an example or several examples (for example, “I’d like to own a fancy car, e.g. a Rolls-Royce”, “I like Australian poets, e.g. Henry Lawson, Banjo Paterson, and Mary Gilmore”)
Featherstonhaugh = [see: Cuthbert Fetherstonhaugh]
Fetherstonhaugh = [see: Cuthbert Fetherstonhaugh]
ft. = an abbreviation of “foot” or “feet”; a foot is a unit of length in the British imperial system of measurement (a foot is equal to 30.48 centimetres) (the plural of “foot” is “feet”)
head station = the principal homestead and main business centre of a pastoral property, including the associated buildings
Jindaboine = an older spelling of Jindabyne
See: “Jindaboine (older spelling of Jindabyne)”, IAC list (on Trove)
Kiandra = an abandoned gold mining town (incidentally, said to be the birthplace of Australian skiing), situated in the Snowy Mountains region of New South Wales; mining in the area ended around 1905 and Kiandra was abandoned (what remains of it is situated within the Kosciuszko National Park)
See: “Kiandra, New South Wales”, Wikipedia
lignum = Latin for wood, or woody; may also refer to the woody tissue of a plant, or to firewood in general; in Australia, it also refers to the Muehlenbeckia Florulenta shrub (known commonly as “Tangled Lignum”, or just “Lignum”), which is a perennial shrub native to inland Australia, which grows up to 2.5 metres in height; may also refer to Vitex lignum-vitae (also known as Lignum-vitae, or more commonly as Yellow Hollywood), which is a rainforest tree native to Queensland and northern New South Wales, which grows up to 30 metres in height (also, there are other types of Lignum which grow in various other countries)
Mac. = an abbreviation of a name (e.g. of MacAlister, Macdonald, Mackie, Macpherson)
metrical = of or regarding metre (the rhythmic arrangement or pattern of a poem, song, or piece of music; also spelt: meter); something composed in poetic metre; something which has a regular rhythm
MS. = abbreviation of “manuscript”
mutton = the meat of an adult sheep (as used for food)
N. S. Wales = an abbreviation of New South Wales (a colony in Australia from 1788, then a state in 1901)
Old Rand = [see: Rand]
outstation = a station in a remote or outlying area of a pastoral property (distinct from the head station); a post or station in a remote or outlying area or position; an outpost
Rand = Robert Rand (1819?-1894), a pastoralist who owned the Mahonga and Urangeline stations (located south-east of Urana, in the Riverina district of New South Wales); he was born in Suffolk (England) in 1819(?), came to Australia in 1834, and died in 1894, at the age of 75
See: 1) Minoru, “Life of ‘Bobby’ Rand: A wonderful pioneer”, The Gundagai Independent and Pastoral, Agricultural, and Mining Advocate (Gundagai, NSW), 7 October 1926, p. 5
2) “Death of Mr. Robert Rand of Mahonga”, The Albury Banner, and Wodonga Express (Albury, NSW), 13 July 1894, p. 24
Riverina = a region of south-central New South Wales, which encompasses Albury, Coolamon, Cootamundra, Deniliquin, Griffith, Gundagai, Hay, Jerilderie, Junee, Leeton, the Murrumbidgee River, Narrandera, Temora, Tocumwal, Tumbarumba, Tumut, Wagga Wagga, and West Wyalong
See: “Riverina”, Wikipedia
squattah = (vernacular) squatter [see: squatter]
squatter = in the context of Australian history, a squatter was originally someone who kept their livestock (mostly cattle and sheep) upon Crown land without permission to do so (thus illegally occupying land, or “squatting”); however, the practice became so widespread that eventually the authorities decided to formalise it by granting leases or licenses to occupy or use the land; and, with the growth of the Australian economy, many of the squatters became quite rich, and the term “squatter” came to refer to someone with a large amount of farm land (they were often regarded as rich and powerful)
stand = come to a halt, stand still; used in the phrase “stand and deliver”
station = a large rural holding used for raising livestock, usually sheep or cattle (a pastoral property); can also refer to the principal homestead and main business centre of a pastoral property
See: “Station (Australian agriculture)”, Wikipedia
Surcingle = a pseudonym of Barcroft H. Boake (1866-1892)
See: “Barcroft H. Boake”, The Institute of Australian Culture
thence = from that place or point, from there (therefrom); from that time (thereafter, thenceforth); from that circumstance, fact, reason, or source (therefore); from that source; following that
trooper = a mounted policeman, in the Australian colonies (in the modern military, it refers to a rank equivalent to private in an armoured or cavalry unit, or to a member of the Special Air Service)
Urana = a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, located to the east of Jerilderie and to the west of Wagga Wagga
See: “Urana”, Wikipedia
[Editor: Inserted a full stop after “That C O B gray one”. Removed the comma after “Jindaboine” and inserted it after “(properly Jindabyne)”. Inserted a line break after “first use and origin.”]
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